Formerly, a ferrule for an optical connector has been made from a suitable plastic material by injection molding, and forming a hole through the front end of the ferrule by a core pin in the molding die at the time of the injection molding so that an optical fiber core can be inserted into.
However, the diameter of the above-mentioned hole to receive the optical fiber core is extremely small, and thus it is necessary to make the diameter of the core pin extremely small. Accordingly, the core pin is very easily broken or bent and, thus a problem arises in that the productivity of the ferrule is lessened because the core pin is often bent or broken when it is fitted in the molding die.
An object of this invention is therefore to provide a method whereby the injection molding of the ferrule with a hole to receive the optical fiber core at the front end can be carried out efficiently, without the use of a core pin.
According to the present invention, a method of manufacturing a ferrule is disclosed which comprises positioning a wire inside a cavity in a molding die for forming the ferrule, introducing plastic material in the cavity thereby forming the ferrule with the wire extending through an end of the ferrule, and withdrawing the wire from the ferrule whereby a small hole is formed in which a core of an optical fiber is to be received.
The invention is illustrated by way of example by reference to the following drawings: